I spend more time in the Byerly’s wine store than you might think. No, it doesn’t have the shop-on-the-corner charm of Hennepin-Lake or Solo Vino or Sam’s. It
doesn’t have the breadth of Haskell’s or Surdyk’s. It isn’t dirt cheap
like Costco, World Market, or Trader Joe’s. What it is is easy.
It’s
close to home, there’s never a line. Plus I can do my banking, my grocery
shopping, send a few packages and buy a few bottles all in one trip.
Call it environmental awareness, call it laziness, call it what you will. The surprise — for me, at least — is that Byerly’s stocks some
excellent, affordable wines.
Granted, you may have to look to find them. Last time I was at there, they had a great pyramid of Castle Rock Pinot Noir right up front. This wine is syrupy and foul. I’d far rather decant a bottle of Benadryl with my evening meal. And yet. . . .I discovered one of my favorites of the last year at Byerly’s: the Abbaye de Tholomies Minervois.
While shopping over the weekend, I ran into Bill Belkin, the category manager of wines & spirits at Lund Food Holdings, Inc. (owner of Byerly’s, as of the acquisition ten years ago) and a rather garrulous guy. Within moments he had waxed on about the new Coen brothers film (he’s a BIG fan), my husband’s resemblance to Josh Brolin, and an FM-107 Lori & Julia segment he’d participated in on MILFs (which I would rather not define here — if you don’t know what they are, please Google; you’ll get an eyeful).
Then he recommended the Bouchard Aînés & Fils Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2005, calling it a "really great turkey day wine."
Now, a man that forthcoming, you assume he’s either totally honest or off his meds. I opted to trust Belkin, and I’m very glad I did. This pinot noir is pretty perfect for a holiday celebration involving several generations and levels of wine-drinking zeal. It has a bright fruit flavor with just a tiny bit of eucalyptus (a combination of oak and mint), a light mouthfeel, and a kirsch-soaked finish that stops short and relatively clean.
Not only is it a good match for turkey — hearty enough to stand up to the stuffing and dark meat, but delicate enough to complement the white — it’s that grape that everyone in America has loved since Paul Giamatti‘s swooning ode to it in Sideways:
"It’s a hard grape to grow, as you know. Right? It’s uh, it’s
thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It’s, you know, it’s not a
survivor like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and uh, thrive
even when it’s neglected. No, Pinot needs constant care and attention.
You know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific,
little, tucked away corners of the world. And, and only the most
patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who
really takes the time to understand Pinot’s potential can then coax it
into its fullest expression. Then, I mean, oh its flavors, they’re just
the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and… ancient
on the planet."
I’m not telling you the Bouchard Aînés & Fils is the "fullest expression" of a pinot noir. But for $13 a bottle (and a rather meaty alcohol content of 12.5%), what can you expect? This is a very drinkable, universally appealing, and versatile wine. And you don’t have to take my word for it. Mr. Belkin of Byerly’s — fan of independent film and MILFs everywhere — says so.
For the record, this winemaker also produces a masterful Pouilly-Fuissé that’s quite a bit pricier and much harder to find. . . .but it’s well worth the effort if you also want to offer a white at your table as well.
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